As we age, we inevitably face many heightened risks. Winter brings a number of these risks – its cold weather and icy surfaces are dangerous to seniors for several reasons.

So, older people will naturally face a conundrum when snow falls. They’ll want to clear their driveways and paths of snow so that the ground is safer for them to walk on. But at the same time, they’ll likely be aware that clearing snow is also risky for them.

In this post, we’ll discuss the risks associated with clearing snow and ice. We’ll also explore how you can address these risks while making sure your property and the pavement bordering it are safe to walk on.

Why clearing snow and ice can be so dangerous for older people

When you think of the dangers associated with shovelling snow or trying to clear away ice, you might first think of back injuries from lifting a heavy shovel. And it’s true that muscle strains and injuries to the back are a real risk.

But there are other dangers that older people also need to be aware of, including…

Heart attacks

A colder environment tends to raise people’s blood pressure. For seniors who already experience high blood pressure, this additional increase can be a real problem any time during cold spells.

Now think of the increased work that an older person’s heart has to do while they are shovelling snow. This is heavy labour, especially for someone who may not be used to intense weight-bearing exercise.

Put these two factors together and you get an elevated risk of heart attacks. This issue is crucially important. In fact, it’s one reason why many sources simply say that it is not safe for elderly people, who very often have high blood pressure, to shovel snow.

Breathing problems

Cold weather tends to tighten the windpipe, making it more difficult to breathe. As with heart attacks, this problem only becomes worse when heavy exercise is in the mix. Older people with lung conditions should take extra care to avoid breathing in a great deal of cold air while working hard.

Falls

There’s another potentially deadly danger involved in clearing snow and ice.

Older people are often at a greater risk of falling anytime. That could be due to weakening muscles and balance, numbness in the feet, poorer vision, or any number of other factors.

Wintertime, of course, heightens this risk dramatically. A slippery patch of pavement that might be a small obstacle for a very mobile person can be impassable for a senior who is not steady on their feet.

In addition to facing increased chances of a fall, elderly people also face worse consequences if they do fall. They might have osteoporosis, which makes their bones more likely to break.

Moreover, older people who fall and break a hip are forced to remain physically inactive for some time – which can be absolutely devastating for their future mobility. They may lose strength while they are unable to be mobile, and the end result can be a move to a care home.

Lastly, we shouldn’t fail to mention the dangers of a ‘long lie’ – a period of more than an hour lying on the floor or ground after a fall. This can lead to severe consequences like pressure sores, hypothermia and a strong fear of walking in future.

Tips for safe snow and ice removal for seniors

As you can see, the dangers connected with clearing snow and ice are significant. They’re a major threat to seniors’ health that cannot be ignored.

Therefore, our first recommendation is for older people to avoid removing snow and ice themselves. If they still want to do it, they could check with their GP to see whether it’s safe for them.

Seniors can also try the following steps…

See what local help is available for free

Rather than personally removing snow, elderly people could try checking with their local council, neighbourhood organisations or local volunteer organisations to see whether there are any programmes matching seniors with younger folk willing to shovel driveways.

Many councils and authorities have instituted such programmes in recent years. The people who agree to remove the snow for others have been referred to as snow friends, snow angels or winter wardens. So, if you’re worried about clearing snow and ice, asking to see what help is available should be the first step.

Prevent ice from forming

Salt and grit play a huge role in improving the safety of pavements and roads on snowy days.

Once an area of the ground has been shovelled, you’ll want to scatter salt or grit on it so that it doesn’t become icy. You can use about a handful of salt for each square metre. Make sure not to scatter salt over green areas like a garden, though, as it will kill the plants. On these areas, you can use grit or sand. On particularly dangerous areas like steps, though, you can be a little more generous with the salt or grit.

It’s also helpful to scatter salt or grit when there isn’t snow, but ice is likely to form soon. That might be due to a frost overnight or due to a cold spell right after a period of rain. Either way, some handfuls of salt, grit or sand can make a huge difference. After all, if the ice never forms, you don’t have to worry about clearing it.

When you’re thinking about using salt or grit, check to see whether your council allows you to use salt from public grit or salting bins. Often, it’s not allowed, but some areas do permit it, so make sure you know what the rules are.

Know what your council’s plan for addressing snow or ice is

Some local authorities will publicise their plans for salting and gritting pavements. For example, they may grit or salt high-traffic areas while ignoring quiet residential streets.

If you’re new to your area, check to see what your council’s plan is. That way, you’ll know whether your own pavement will be salted and what other routes around town are safer thanks to the gritting.

If you do decide to clear snow or ice yourself

Let’s say your GP has given you the green light to go ahead and clear snow and ice yourself.

In this case, you should still take extreme caution and keep fall prevention in mind. You can buy accessories that are like spikes for your shoes to help prevent slipping. For some people, these may be helpful. For others, such as those with balance problems, the shoe spikes might make things worse. If you do decide to buy anti-slip devices for your shoes, test them out a bit on normal ground before walking over icy ground wearing them.

Most of all, you should make sure that you have a way to call for help if you fall. In winter, when night falls early and snowstorms can reduce visibility, the possibility of falling and then being unable to get out of the cold is a real problem.

Even when an older person falls indoors, hypothermia is still a risk. The threat is, of course, many times worse when the fall is outside in freezing weather. You’ll need to address this issue by…

Getting a personal alarm for protection in case of falls and heart attacks in the cold

An elderly personal alarm, such as those we offer at SureSafe, is designed to protect seniors from situations where they’re having an emergency, including a fall or a heart attack, and are unable to get help.

Personal alarms for the elderly typically offer one or two ways for the wearer to receive help in a crisis even when they are unwell and lying on the ground – and unable to reach a phone.

One key function in elderly personal alarms is a one-touch button or SOS button. This allows the wearer to call for assistance by simply pressing and holding one button on their wrist alarm or talking pendant. Since the alarm can be safely worn in the shower, it should always be available – meaning that the button will never be out of reach.

Another important function is fall detection. This is designed to provide another layer of protection in case the older person is unable even to press a button.

Fall detection works via sensors and algorithms in the personal alarm. As the algorithm assesses the input from the sensors, the alarm determines whether or not the wearer has just fallen. If the alarm believes it has detected a fall, it will call for help automatically.

Obviously, fall detection can’t sense 100% of falls. But it does work to reduce the risks of experiencing a medical emergency and being unable to call for help.

Protection for seniors in snowy and icy weather

SureSafe is a UK leading provider of personal alarms featuring both of the above functionalities. And our glowing reviews are a testament to the power of our alarms and our dedication to protecting seniors.

If you’re concerned about falling in the cold and snow, we can help. To discuss how our alarms work or which might be right for you, give us a ring at 0808 189 1671, talk to us through live chat, or request a call back.